Modern motor vehicles provide many software-controlled features or functions to accommodate the needs and desires of drivers and passengers and to comply with the regulations of governmental agencies. Higher end automobiles, sport utility vehicles and trucks tend to provide an increasing number of such features to accommodate the occupants. Such features are generally controlled by software programmed into various modules or Electronic Control Units (ECUs) located at different places within the vehicle. Such ECUs and the signal paths to and from such ECUs and the hardware devices they control can be thought of as forming a high-speed computer network that is included within the vehicle.
Specifically, many of the major systems in modern vehicles include ECUs that have memories for storing various types of software including algorithms for controlling the functioning of the hardware devices. For example, the internal combustion engines of such vehicles include ECUs that are controlled by such software for adjusting the fuel delivery by the fuel injectors and the spark timing for the spark plugs located in each of the cylinders. The Body Control Modules (BCMs) of such vehicles include an ECU that controls an entry light for lighting the entry or exit when a door is opened. This software controlled ECU also dims the light when the door is closed. The Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) of a vehicle includes an ECU that is controlled by software to vary the braking action of the brakes of the vehicle depending on variables such as the speed, the weight and the chassis of the vehicle. Even some automotive radios have software controlled ECUs, which increases or decreases the volume of the radio as the vehicle speed is respectively increased or decreased. Many other such software operated ECUs may be utilized in modern vehicles.
In the past the automotive ECU suppliers downloaded the required software into the various ECUs at the ECU manufacturing plants. The manufacturer of the vehicles then installed these preprogrammed ECUs into the vehicles. The foregoing approach was satisfactory when vehicles required less software than they now require. Presently a buyer ordering a modem pickup truck faces a multitude of choices. For instance, the buyer can choose between either several gas engines of various configurations and horsepower or a diesel engine, two or four wheel drive, different axle ratios, and a multitude of other options. Such choices also differ depending on whether the vehicle is for the U.S. or for the export markets. The ECUs in such vehicles are programmed to provide the operating characteristics or parameters that are consistent with the choices made by the buyers. The possible combinations of such programmed parameters have now grown to the hundreds and perhaps to the thousands or more for a full line of vehicles. Also option changes now occur more frequently than in the past making it more difficult for the ECU manufacturers to keep the software up to date.
Because of the large amount of software, the many variations thereof and the changing nature of the software it has already become burdensome for the ECU manufacturers to preprogram some of the ECUs for many vehicles. Thus, some ECU suppliers now provide the vehicle manufacturer with generic non-programmed ECUs, which are later programmed with the vehicle unique software by the vehicle manufacturer. More specifically, after all of the ECUs and the battery are installed in a vehicle, ruggedized computers are utilized by operators in the vehicle manufacturing plant to download the software directly into the memories of each ECU. The computers control the sequential download of each software file or program for one ECU at a time. The internal high-speed network of the vehicle distributes the software to the appropriate ECU. This approach however uses an undesirable amount of resources to complete the downloads. For instance it takes operators a significant amount of time to complete this task. In addition, an undesirably high number of expensive spaces in the final assembly line are allocated to this procedure, which tends to increase the vehicle production cycle time and decrease plant efficiency.
The future trend in vehicle manufacture is to use the same hardware systems for many vehicle types and modify the characteristics of such systems to conform to each vehicle type by modifying the software of the ECUs controlling such systems. As automotive vehicles evolve more electrically enabled functions are used to accommodate increasing customer desires and government regulations. These trends are forecasted to result in the rapid growth of the number of such ECUs and the number of programs used by the ECUs. This increase in the number of ECUs and the amount of software that the vehicle manufacturer arranges to program will exacerbate the aforementioned problems. For instance, the aforementioned prior art solution currently being employed will undesirably have the vehicle manufacturer procure more ruggedized computers and allocate more personnel and more valuable assembly line programming spaces on the already fully utilized final assembly lines.
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that there is a need to provide improved methods and apparatuses for programming the ECUs in vehicles in the vehicle manufacturing plant. It is desired that such methods and apparatuses increase plant efficiency and reduce product production cycle time. It is also desirable for the programming of the required ECU software to be accomplished in an inexpensive, efficient and expeditious manner. It is further desired that such methods and apparatuses minimize the additional amount of resources for performing the programming tasks such as tooling, computing, assembly line space, assembly line expense, the number of personnel and the amount of personnel time. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent brief summary, detailed description, appended claims, and abstract, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.